Televangelists Tax Free Mega Mansions

Mega mansions of some of the top paid televangelists are worth many millions of dollars. They are tax free because they are 'parsonages' that are bought through the churches and are considered church property.

It is customary with Catholic churches to have a small home or apartment for the priest, that the church owns, next to the church. That I'm okay with because the priests do not get a salary. They get a stipend for clothes and food, and not enough money for housing. So free moderate housing makes sense.

And I've seen some Protestant churches in New England that have a modest home next to the church for the pastor who, like the Catholic priest, doesn't get much of a salary and can't afford housing. Again, free moderate housing makes sense.

The spirit of the system is a good one, giving a modest place to stay for the pastor or priest who doesn't really get a salary. But this televangelist stuff? Geeeze ... I think it's abusing the system. Huge salaries AND mega mansions to live in, and the mega mansions are tax free because they are technically church property.

Pictures of the 'parsonages' (Mega Mansions!!) at the link.

Christian Post - What Would Televangelists Pay if their Homes Weren't Tax Exempt

Associate Pastor and Political Scientist Ryan Burge told "Inside Edition": “If you have a multi-million-dollar house, your property tax bill could be $30,000, $40,000, $50,000 a year. But if it’s classified as a parsonage, now you don’t have to pay property taxes on that home. That $50,000 could pay the salary of an elementary school teacher in your local public school.”

The property-tax exemption on church and ministry-owned homes is governed by state laws. It differs from the parsonage housing allowance which was created by Congress and involves a tax exemption from the federal income tax.

Some examples of the televangelists 'parsonages' (mega mansions) that are tax free -

David E. Taylor. Mansion value $8,300,000. Taxes that would have been owed - $150,000.
Ron Carpenter. Mansion value $7,250,000. Taxes that would have been owed - $83,521.52
Kenneth Copeland. Mansion value $10,825,462. Taxes that would have been owed - $192,159.52.
Jesse Duplantis. Mansion value $20,000,000. Taxes that would have been owed - $122,000.
IV Hilliard. Mansion value $7,966,887. Taxes that would have been owed - $152,168.
Peter Popoff. Mansion value $7,300,000. Taxes that would have been owed - $39,000

a reply to: FlyersFan

I blame the congregations. I don't care that their own stupidity allows them to be fleeced.

a reply to: FlyersFan

Everyone should just do this then. Form a church and make your home the official parsonage. Bing bong boom. Then they might actually change the laws.

originally posted by: tamusan
I blame the congregations. I don't care that their own stupidity allows them to be fleeced.

The people getting fleeced is sad, but that's on them. I'm more interested in the fact that these mega mansions are TAX FREE, which means that the tax payer and the regular people who are following the law are getting stiffed.

a reply to: FlyersFan

I'll double up on what "tumusan" posted above with a great song by The Insane Clown Posse...



Yup, blame those who buy a conscience with a credit card.

GOD is FREE.

originally posted by: FlyersFan

originally posted by: tamusan
I blame the congregations. I don't care that their own stupidity allows them to be fleeced.

The people getting fleeced is sad, but that's on them. I'm more interested in the fact that these mega mansions are TAX FREE, which means that the tax payer and the regular people who are following the law are getting stiffed.

It seems that the people living in these megamansions tax free are also following the law.

originally posted by: tamusan
It seems that the people living in these megamansions tax free are also following the law.

Which is the problem. The law lets them get away with this. Mega mansions ... tax free. The televangelists have mega salaries and an afford their own homes. But instead, the church buys mega mansions and they live in them for free. It's immoral (which is subjective), but it for sure isn't fair to tax payers who pay taxes on their own homes that they buy themselves.

originally posted by: EmmanuelGoldstein
a reply to: FlyersFan

Everyone should just do this then. Form a church and make your home the official parsonage. Bing bong boom. Then they might actually change the laws.

And we could totally call it something like ‘Scientology’ or something sciency like that.
Oh shucks, they beat us to it.

a reply to: FlyersFan

I pay taxes and am still unconcerned. My money is wasted on far worse things, in my opinion. I'll give that it would be nice if the government would close the loophole allowing these mansions to go untaxed. But that is coming more from a place of my dislike of churches more than collecting the taxes.

If you think the Church gets away with murder now, vote in Trump and the Republicans this November.

Adultery might become illegal. Divorce, illegal. Gay marriage, illegal. Contraception, illegal. IVF, illegal. Women might start being put in jail for miscarriages that some Republican thought was an abortion.

How's that sound? Think I'm kidding? I'm not.

501c3 should be eliminated I know some Monks that will let me raise money for their charity "Church" and only charge 10% yet I would be considered a non profit working under their 501c3. I really need that non profit Bentley though got to have goals in God

originally posted by: Disgusted123
If you think the Church gets away with murder now, vote in Trump and the Republicans this November.

Adultery might become illegal. Divorce, illegal. Gay marriage, illegal. Contraception, illegal. IVF, illegal. Women might start being put in jail for miscarriages that some Republican thought was an abortion.

How's that sound? Think I'm kidding? I'm not.

No. That's not going to happen. Calm down.

a reply to: FlyersFan

Trump wanted to repeal the Johnson Amendment because it restricts non-profit organizations from promoting, or panning, a political candidate.

Trump presented it as if it was a 'freedom-of-speech' issue. However, because of the tax-free status of churches, this repeal has the effect of making political contributions through a church tax-deductible.

Of course, as a bill, it would never pass Congress, because they would see it as political corruption, this is because it funnels tax-payers 'public' money into a politicians pocket (whether the tax-payers approve of the candidate or not), so here is Trump signing it in via an Executive Order.

Of course, to maintain this particular form of corruption, the churches could never get their tax-exempt status questioned, because then the 'house-of-cards' would all collapse.

It's an 'I'll rub your back, if you rub mine' situation - exactly how political corruption works!

a reply to: FlyersFan

I think it's abusing the system.

Televangelist abuse the world. They abuse humility, peoples faith, and they are ordained in vainglorious charlatanry.

The Lord says they need a custom Armani suit, alligator swayed loafers, 14 cars, a celebrity mansion, and a staff of 250.

And never pay, as they as they are spreading the authentic word of God, firmly committed to getting rid of the decadence of carnal existence and excess of Satan.

"Devil be GONE... but just go and hang out at my grotto and we can party later."

a reply to: FlyersFan

Joel Osteen's compound is a sight to behold.

But he is God's messenger on Earth, so there's that...

a reply to: FlyersFan

DONT YOU WORRY.....
GOD will repay everybody IN FULL.

and he already recieved his reward here on earth,
will fully repay any excesses 7-fold